Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to power beaming technology. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to locating a power receiver toward which a power transmitter will transmit a power beam.
Description of the Related Art
One form of remote power is a laser power beaming system. A laser power beaming system includes a transmitter (TX) and a receiver (RX). FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional laser power beaming system 10 having a transmitter 12 and a receiver 18. The transmitter 12 forms a high-flux beam of laser light 16, which is projected through the air over a distance toward the receiver 18. The receiver 18, which may be in a remote area having an absence of easily available power, includes a light reception module 20 (e.g., a photovoltaic array) to receive the high-flux beam of laser light 16. At the receiver 18, the laser light 16 is converted to usable electric power, which is transported to one or more functional circuits 22 where the power is consumed or stored for later consumption.
In FIG. 1, the transmitter 12 includes a laser assembly 14, which converts electric power into optical power (i.e., light), typically but not necessarily in the near-infrared (NIR) portion of the optical spectrum wavelength between 0.7 and 2.0 μm. The laser assembly 14 may comprise a single laser or multiple lasers, which may be mutually coherent or incoherent. In some cases, the one or more lasers may be replaced by one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), superradiant diodes, or some other high-intensity light source. The high-flux output of the laser assembly 14 passes through various optical elements (e.g., optical fibers, lenses, mirrors, etc.) which convert the raw laser light to a beam of a desired size, shape (e.g., circular or rectangular), power distribution, and divergence. Various elements of the laser assembly 14 also aim the high-flux beam toward the receiver 18.
After leaving the transmitter 12, the high-flux light beam 16 travels through free space toward the receiver 18. At the receiver 18, the high-flux light beam 16 strikes the light reception module 20. Power from the high-flux light beam 16 is captured, either directly or via collecting optics such as lenses or mirrors, and wholly or partly converted back to another form of useful power. In some cases, the light reception module 20 includes an array of photovoltaic (PV) cells which convert light to direct current (DC) electricity. In other cases, the light reception module 20 converts light to electricity in other ways, for example by converting the optical power to heat, which drives a heat engine (e.g., Stirling engine, turbine), a thermoelectric device, or some other device.
All of the subject matter discussed in the Background section is not necessarily prior art and should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its discussion in the Background section. Along these lines, any recognition of problems in the prior art discussed in the Background section or associated with such subject matter should not be treated as prior art unless expressly stated to be prior art. Instead, the discussion of any subject matter in the Background section should be treated as part of the inventor's approach to the particular problem, which in and of itself may also be inventive.